


Heart-Shaped Yarn Tangles- A Pride Month Fic

by RemyCampbell



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: I love that knitting was already a tag, Knitting, LGBT, M/M, R has many skillz, Yes Apollo skillz is spelled with a z, blossiming friendship, pride month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 06:31:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15113747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RemyCampbell/pseuds/RemyCampbell
Summary: Enjolras finds Grantaire arguing with a knitted object and puts in the effort to have a proper conversation with him. Grantaire celebrates Pride Month at the corner of Art and Activism.





	Heart-Shaped Yarn Tangles- A Pride Month Fic

**Author's Note:**

> In America once again, because other countries’ PRIDE months aren’t as big as ours. Next one will be in France, or Enjolras will likely storm right off the page.
> 
> It’s literally the last day of Pride Month, but I thought I’d finish strong and post this.

Unless a few members of the Friends of the ABC gather at the Musain Student Center before a meeting to study or discuss some pressing non-political topic, Enjolras is almost always the first one to arrive at their meeting space. As could be expected, Grantaire is frequently the last. He always turns up eventually. Sometimes laughing arm in arm with Joly or Jehan, sometimes making a hurried apology as he slides into his usual seat just as the meeting starts, sometimes staggering in halfway through and causing a scene- but Enjolras has noticed (with no small amount of confusion and frustration) that he always comes.

Tonight, Enjolras has arrived at the cafe early even for himself. He spent the past day drafting a letter on gender discrimination on campus to the university officials and is eager to get feedback from the rest of the group. Still, after three complete rewrites, he remains dissatisfied with his conclusion and wants to look it over once more befor the meeting. Unfortunately, the back room where they hold their meetings is already occupied, by none other than their resident cynic.

Grantaire’s laptop is open on a chair, blasting some music that sounds horribly like a pop rendition of the opera Carmen. The man himself is kneeling on one of the tables, arranging some brightly colored object and grumbling a steady stream of profanity.

Enjolras takes a deep breath and runs through his options in his mind. Grantaire hasn’t noticed him yet; he can easily slip out and find another spot in the Musain to work on the letter until the meeting starts. Alternatively, he can just sit down and get to work, trying to ignore the dreadful noise that Grantaire calls music and any heckling Grantaire might throw his way. But he knows from experience that that tactic will be utterly fruitless. Grantaire seems unable to help himself when it comes to tormenting Enjolras, and any attempt Enjolras makes at shutting him down- be it through polite requests or firm orders or outright scolding- only seems to fuel Grantaire’s fire.

“Goddamn it, just stay put!” Grantaire snarls at whatever it is he’s doing. “It should not be this complicated for a tangle of damn yarn to lie in a fucking heart shape.”

A short bark of laughter erupts from Enjolras as he watches Grantaire prod at his... tangle of damn yarn?... with one hand and run the other through his messy curls. The entire scene is so quintessentially Grantaire, and not in the annoying drunken way. Contrary to popular belief, he doesn’t actually dislike the man. Grantaire is creative and funny and clever and warm. Enjolras sees how much he adds to the lives of his friends. But despite all these good qualities, he is perpetually underselling himself and wasting his potential. And despite his insistence that he believes in Enjolras- if not in the ideas for which Enjolras stands- his goodwill towards his friends never seems to extend from his seat in the back corner to Enjolras’ table in the front of the room.

Enjolras’ laugh tears Grantaire away from whatever he’s doing and he looks up sharply. At once, he seems to light up with excitement and tense as if preparing for a fight. This is frequently his reaction to Enjolras; yet another thing about him that leaves the always confident leader feeling utterly confused.

“You’ve arrived early to your temple, Apollo,” Grantaire declares. “Your loyal devotees haven’t yet arrived for evening services.”

“What the hell are you doing?” asks Enjolras, ignoring Grantaire’s ridiculous greeting.

“Trying to arrange this scarf into a heart shape. Which really shouldn’t be this damn hard.”

“And why, dare I ask, are you trying to do that?”

“To take a picture for my Instagram.”

Enjolras loves Grantaire’s Instagram. It isn’t for food photos or selfies or funny photos of his friends- though Grantaire has hundreds of that last category. No, his Inastagram is exclusively an artistic forum.

He posts pictures of his completed paintings, “On the off chance anyone actually wants to own my scribblings,” he’d said when he first set up the account. Enjolras had made some sort of disapproving noise, which had made Grantaire visibly deflate. Courfeyrac had shot Enjolras an angry look, but Enjolras refused to back down. Grantaire’s self deprecating comments about his art have to be the most absurd of all his ridiculously cynical comments. It’s obvious that he is incredibly talented on a technical level. But even more impressive is the passion and raw emotion in Grantaire’s work. In paint and charcoal, Grantaire can show humanity’s immense capacity for goodness and for cruelty. Speaking through his canvas, Grantaire shows the world whay he thinks of it, in ways that he never would through his twisted half-smile and bitingly sarcastic words.

In addition to the paintings, Grantaire posts incredible photographs. Famous landmarks of Washington DC look new and exciting through Grantaire’s lens. He takes nature photography that Enjolras would think couldn’t be possible from inside a bustling city. His rare pictures of food are to capture something new and exciting, and he lays out the composition like a still life. He always tags the social media pages of the business, to draw in more customers for them.

Yes, Grantaire’s Instagram is amazing, and Enjolras has admitted to himself that he’s spent more time on it than he has in any of the myriad art galleries in Washington DC. But scarves don’t really seem like they’re part of Grantaire’s aesthetic. Unless-

“Did someone make it?” In the same way he tags exceptional restaurants in photos, Grantaire often posts the artwork of his friends to give them exposure, or at the very least, moral support.

“I made it,” Grantaire replies distractedly, once again trying to get the scarf to lie the way he wants it.

“You?” Yet another previously unknown talent. Enjolras wonders if someone has started compiling a list of all the random things that Grantaire can do. He himself had seriously considered it after Grantaire had done a backflip and proceeded to walk around on his hands to draw attention away from a group of Westboro Baptist-style picketers who had come to make a scene on campus last month.

“Yeah, me.” Grantaire looks up to focus on Enjolras. His expression is a clear sign that he’s ready to pick apart Enjolras’ monosyllabic question. (How? How is everything that he says wrong in Grantaire’s eyes?) “Come on, Apollo, I thought you were against all that gender role bullshit. Yes, I am a man. I am loud and I like to box and I knit.”

“Of course I know that men knit!” Enjolras snaps. “Do you honestly think I would be bound by the gender expectations of yarn crafts?”

Grantaire bursts into such violent laughter that he nearly falls off the table. “Oh my god, you are so easy!” he gasps.

Enjolras’ immediate reaction is to snap at him, to ask Grantaire why the hell he enjoys tormenting him. But he’s genuinely curious about the scarf and he knows that if he rises to Grantaire’s bait now, they have no chance of a civil conversation for the rest of the night.

“Yes, congratulations,” he drawls instead. “You could be the world’s first knitting comedian- very clever. Why are you posting scarves to your Instagram in the middle of the summer?”

“Because it’s June,” Grantaire answers earnestly, all previous laughter seemingly under control. “Pride Month. Which I know you know, because you’ve been talking about it since May.”

Enjolras stares at him blankly.

“Look, I can knit, but it’s not actually something I do a whole lot,” Grantaire elaborates. “Do you remember the trans pride scarf I made for Jehan for Christmas?”

All of the Friends of the ABC surely remember the scarf. It’s nearly six feet long, with five blocks of color (blue, pink, white, pink, and blue) to make up the transgender flag. Jehan adores it, shows it off to everyone, and wore it almost constantly until Joly had finally voiced concerns about their health as the weather warmed up.

“I remember you gave it to them,” Enjolras answers. “But I hadn’t realized you made it.”

“Well I did, and apparently a lot of Jehan’s friends like it. They’ve said that a few people have asked them if I sell them, and I was flattered, but I never really gave an answer. So I decided that for Pride month, I’d make more. And not just the trans ones. I’m starting with a few of the more commonly used flags, but if people want specific ones, I can do any of them.”

“That’s actually a really great idea.”

Some of the excitement that had been present on Grantaire’s face moments ago fades. “You don’t have to sound so surprised,” he mumbles.

Enjolras feels a sharp stab of guilt in his chest. He can never seem to get it right with Grantaire. “I didn’t mean it like that, R.”

Grantaire smiles weakly. “No, I know you didn’t. Sorry, I’ve just never sold anything I’ve knitted before, and I guess I’m a little nervous about it?”

Courfeyrac frequently tells Enjolras that there are moments when he has a chance to make things better between himself and Grantaire and that he consistently ruins those chances. Usually, Enjolras doesn’t even recognize the moments until they’re lying in tatters at his feet. This one is obvious even to him, and he’s sure he knows how to not mess it up.

“Well you certainly shouldn’t be. Jehan is absolutely in love with their scarf, and I’m sure all your customers will be as well.”

“Thanks, Apollo.” Grantaire ducks his head slightly, but Enjolras can still clearly see his faint blush. It’s so easy to make Grantaire happy. Why can’t he manage to do it more often? “I really hope it goes well. I’m going to give the money to the Transgender Law Center, once I pay myself out for the yarn I have to buy. So I want to sell a lot.”

“You’re doing it as a fundraiser?” Again, the surprise is evident in Enjolras’ tone, and he knows that Grantaire will again be hurt by it.

“It’s a great organization,” Grantaire answers defensively.

“Obviously I’m aware that they’re a good organization,” Enjolras shoots back, half laughing. “Did you forget who you’re talking to?” Grantaire snorts at that. “But you’ve made it perfectly clear at more than one meeting that you don’t think legislation can do anything of substance to benefit the lives of trans people. That change has to come from the societal level-”

“And that people are closed minded asshats who are afraid of anything that deviates from their absurdly narrow social constructs. Yeah, I know what I said and I stand by it. But even if their policy work doesn’t go anywhere, their hands-on work is really helpful to people. They provide pro bono legal representation and work within the completely screwed up and prejudiced system that we have to actually try to save a few lives. Look, I’m not saying it’s going to actually solve any problems, but-”

“You know you really don’t have to justify this to me, right?” Enjolras interrupts. “In fact, it’s a little disturbing. You trying to defend social action to me.”

“We could make it a game?” suggests Grantaire. “Your turn. You try convincing me that nothing we do can make any difference and the world is just fucked.”

“This sounds like a dare thought up by Courfeyrac.”

“Which is why you always should choose ‘Truth’ from Courf,” Grantaire advised sagely.

“Not if he has dirt on you,” Enjolras grumbles.

Grantaire laughs then, not the mocking chuckle he usually sends Enjolras’ way, nor even the hearty laughter from before that had still been at Enjolras’ expense. No, this is the sort of laugh he shares with Bahorel as they discuss something that happened at the gym, or the laugh that accompanies his pun battles with Joly and Bossuet. Enjolras has never realized how much he’s wanted to be the cause of that.

“New life mission- to get Courf drunk enough that he spills all your dirty little secrets.”

“I’m doomed,” Enjolras deadpans. Grantaire bursts into another peal of laughter.

When he manages to compose himself, he finds Enjolras sitting on the edge of the table, carefully holding the pink, yellow and blue scarf that Grantaire has utterly given up on trying to arrange. “This is really excellent work, R. I never had the patience for crafting things but I remember my sister trying to learn, and she was always going on about making her stitches even. These are perfect.”

“Thanks, Apollo. This is the pansexual one. I posted a few others earlier in the week.”

“I’m sure your Instagram followers will love them. And that’s not a small number of people, R. Didn’t you just break 2,500 followers?”

“Yeah, I- hang on. You follow me on Instagram?” The shock in Grantaire’s voice feels like a punch to the gut. Enjolras adores his friends and is always supportive of them. Everyone knows this about him. But apparently Grantaire doesn’t think it extends to him.

“Of course I do. Your art is incredible, Grantaire.”

Enjolras has never seen Grantaire look so happy. His entire mismatched countenance lights up in a way that sends a surprising flurry of butterflies through Enjolras’ stomach, but also makes the normally stoic leader flinch with guilt. Perhaps all this time, Enjolras has been wrong in assuming Grantaire doesn’t like him. Perhaps all those missed moments that Courfeyrac has pointed out to Enjolras have added up to Grantaire assuming that Enjolras doesn’t like _him_.

Well. Enjolras has made political miscalculations in the past. When presented with his error- often by Grantaire- he does the appropriate research and adjust his plans accordingly. A social situation should be no different.

“Thanks, Apollo,” Grantaire finally manages to say. “I mean, I know it’s not anything special, but the fact that you like it, that you follow my page-”

“It’s incredibly special. As is your photography. Actually-” he pauses to pull his phone out of his pocket and type in the passcode. “This is my wallpaper.”

He passes the phone to Grantaire, who stares in shock at his photo of the Capitol building, the sky behind it dark and angry, a bolt of lightning clearly visible in the right upper corner. It’s one of Grantaire’s favorite photographs he’s ever taken.

“Oh. Wow, um, thank you Apollo.” For once, Grantaire doesn’t have a witty comeback. He doesn’t want to have a witty comeback. For once, Enjolras is acting as though Grantaire is his friend, as though Grantaire is just as much a part of their group as the others. He doesn’t want to do anything to break this moment.

So of course, Courfeyrac and Marius take that moment to arrive, loudly laughing about Marius’s latest episode of hilarious social ineptitude.

Grantaire allows himself to be drawn into the story. Enjolras retreats to his usual table at the other side of the room, opening his laptop and pulling up the letter that he certainly didn’t get a chance to review before the meeting.

They bicker throughout the night, as they always do. He knows how to tease his friends without wounding; it’s only with Grantaire that things always seem to get out of hand. But tonight, Enjolras tries to keep the venom out of his tone as he fires back at Grantaire. Grantaire responds in kind, heckling Enjolras without attacking him.

Enjolras doesn’t know how long they’ll be able to keep up this new rhythm. He knows they’ll still get into fights. But knowing that they’re both coming from a place of argumentative personalities who sometimes fail to communicate, knowing that Grantaire holds no real animosity towards him, feels like a seismic shift in their relationship.

After the meeting, Enjolras hangs back to talk to Grantaire. As part of their Pride Month activism efforts, the Friends of the ABC are planning a rally to protest the unjust treatment of LGBT+ people in the criminal justice system.

They’re going to need some scarves.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! A few notes:
> 
> *I happen to know a young lady who makes these Pride scarves and does indeed sell them as a fundraiser for the Transgender Law Center. If you’re interested, please reach out to her at @ EmiRoseMonsters on Twitter or Monsters By Emily Rose on Facebook.
> 
> *There are two types of people who seek change. One type wants to fix the system and the other seeks to make meaningful changes in the lives of individuals. Grantaire is a good person who desperately wishes the world could be better. But he doesn’t believe that first type of change is possible. I believe that this means he would, by default, gravitate to the second method.
> 
> *Enjolras is wrong and Grantaire’s music is amazing. The song he’s listening to is “Carmen” by Stromae.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xad00ZU1uMM


End file.
